1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shield mounting structure for a full-face type or jet type safety helmet which is used when riding a motorcycle or driving an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional shield mounting structure for a full-face type or jet type safety helmet, an opening adjusting means and a shield are generally mounted with set-screws to the helmet body. More specifically, right and left sides of the shield and parts of the opening adjusting means such as a ratchet mechanism are fixedly mounted to the shield through a mounting cover.
In the above conventional structure, when the shield does not open and close (pivot) correctly during touring for example, it is necessary to disassemble a mounting portion of the shield. In this case, when the set-screws are removed to remove the shield mounting cover from the helmet body, various parts for limiting the opening and closing of the shield may fly apart in a disorderly manner and be lost.
In view of the above problem the present inventor previously proposed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 309612/88 a mounting structure capable of mounting a shield to the body of a helmet without using set-screws. According to the construction proposed therein, a base plate having a pivot shaft serving as a pivotal center of a shield and also having a stopper (ratchet) mechanism for restricting a pivoting range of the shield is secured to each of right and left sides of a helmet body, the base plate being covered with a shield keep cover so that the shield keep cover is disengaged from the base plate only when the shield assumes a predetermined position (a fully open position).
According to the above prior art, the shield keep cover must be removed at the time of mounting or removal of the shield no matter whether the shield keep cover is a screwed type or of a type in which it is mounted to the base plate by concave-convex engagement. Consequently, the mounting and removal (replacement) of the shield are troublesome, and when the shield keep cover is a set-screw mounted type, the set-screws may be lost. Further, in the case where the shield keep cover is mounted to the base plate by engagement through concave and convex members, the same members may be damaged by frequent operations.